# Theorem that stable equilibria in iterated games are equivalent to coalition-based static equilibria

Consider an $n$-player nonzero sum finite game $G$. I have a vague recollection of a wonderful paper proving an equivalence between (1) steady state Nash equilibria of $G$ played countably many times in sequence and (2) a modified form of Nash equilibria that essentially allows enforceable contracts.

For example, the Nash equilibria of the single shot or finitely iterated Prisoner's Dilemma is always defect, but the iterated and cooperative Nash equilibria is always cooperative.

Does anyone remember which paper this might be, or have any hints as to how to find it? I searched for a while but didn't find sufficient keywords.

• Any idea about the (before) date of publishing? What made it "wonderful"? Are you sure it was about $n$ rather then only $2$ players? – Řídící Mar 4 '13 at 12:39
• I recall it being a least a couple decades old, and thought it was wonderful because (1) it reduced a infinite game to a finite dimensional computation and (2) was a simple theory that captured cooperation. I am fairly sure that it was for arbitrary numbers of players, since it allowed sets of players to form enforced coalitions. – Geoffrey Irving Mar 4 '13 at 17:03

• Thanks! The paper I was thinking of was exactly Aumann's "Acceptable Points in General Cooperative $n$-Person Games", which is the first citation of the linked Shapley paper. You're correct that I misstated the result: I believe a correct summary is that any cooperative coalition-based equilibrium appears as a strong equilibrium of a competitive nondiscounted infinitely iterated game. As you say, the other way does not hold. – Geoffrey Irving Mar 5 '13 at 3:58